OMA hosts video service project for Venezuela

The Office of Multicultural Affairs will send encouraging videos to people in Venezuela as part of an international service project.

Students can send in videos to the OMA student council or film a video at 6 p.m. on Tuesday downstairs in the Campus Center.

Aleira Martin, a member of the OMA student council, said the project allows students to encourage children in Venezuela facing food shortages and other difficulties. The council learned of the campaign from Lindsie Lawson, senior global studies major from The Colony. Lawson’s friend in Venezuela, Raul Dia, started the campaign, which is called “Una Sonrisa por Venezuela.”

“It will provide us with a feeling of, ‘Hey, we did something,'” said Martin, a sophomore ad/PR major from Fort Worth. “But it will also provide kids with a feeling of like, ‘People who are doing better believe in us and believe in our country and what we could do better.'”

Venezuela faces extreme inflation, food shortages and rampant crime, according to the New York Times.

Students use their phones and film themselves saying, “Smile Venezuela from (your country/state), I or we are with you.” Martin said students can email videos to her at akm15a@acu.edu.

The OMA student council is also working on a podcast which will come out as a weekly series in January. The podcast will feature minority students discussing cultural, social and political topics.